Scientists discover ancient DNA “switches” hidden in plants for 400 million years
Mar 13, 2026
Scientists have uncovered an enormous hidden archive of plant DNA that has endured for more than 400 million years. By comparing hundreds of plant genomes, researchers identified more than 2.3 million regulatory DNA sequences that act like genetic switches, controlling when and how genes are activat
ed. These sequences, known as conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs), were detected using a new computational tool called Conservatory. ...read more read less